Married Women Can't Work at the Long Branch
by SingerMe
Summary: Not really a new idea. Just an old one in a little different format. Thanks, BlueEyedFool for your help and input.


**Married Women Can't Work at the Long Branch.**

I don't own these characters. I just like to spend time with them. No other profit to be had.

 **AN: This is set right after KLA and quickly goes into AU territory. And I need to thank my little sister for her immense help in not only the plot, but the ending and the title. I don't know what I'd do without her.**

Matt leaned against the post and watched as Kitty and Will Stambridge said their farewells. Different emotions were coursing through him, though he didn't show it. He had no hate for Stambridge but he wasn't sorry to see him leave. He hated that Kitty was giving up the one real chance she had of having a family and yet grateful she was staying.

Matt truly wanted Kitty to have what she wanted and needed and deserved. But until Stambridge came into their lives, he didn't realize just how much he wanted to be the one who gave it to her. Matt straightened up when he saw the stage start up and Kitty moving his way.

"I know a lady who could use a drink." She told him.

"Well, I know a man who's ready to buy." He smiled down at her; grateful to see she returned that smile. As they moved across the street, Matt marveled at how good and right it felt to wrap his arm around her, and she him. He marveled even more at the fact that he was just now seeing it.

Once they entered the saloon, Kitty nodded at Sam. "Sam, a bottle of my best and two glasses." She looked over at Matt. "You want to sit at a table or…"

"How about your office?" Matt quickly put in. He wanted to talk to Kitty privately.

"Alright." She agreed, accepted the tray from Sam, with their drinks and led the way into her office.

As soon as Matt closed the door behind him and Kitty sat down the tray, Matt reached out and pulled her into his arms, hugging her tightly. "I'm sorry, Kitty." He told her sincerely.

"Matt, I…"

"No, Kitty, let me finish. You came to me wanting me to tell you that I love you and I didn't do it. You wanted some sort of hope that we could one day marry and I didn't give you any. You asked me to claim you and I wouldn't do that because I felt like I couldn't. I've never felt like I had the right to claim you."

"I know, Matt." Kitty nodded. "I… I guess I was just…"

"You were facing a tough choice and you wanted help in making it. And I didn't help you." Matt finally released her and reached over, picking up one of his drinks. "I felt like you should always be in charge of your own life."

"Matt, I know…"

"No, you don't, Kitty." His response was so feral it made Kitty pause and look at him with a frown. Matt took a deep breath before continuing. "You know how I feel about a being a lawman and marriage not mixing because I've told you. You know how I feel about you being always being able to make your own decisions and do what you want without having to get my approval because I told you that too. But what you don't know is what I haven't told you."

Matt drained his drink and sat the glass back down, taking his time to gather his words, the right words. Finally he looked up at her. "I've never told you how much in awe of you I am, Kitty. You're beautiful, intelligent, courageous and strong. You're everything any man would want. I've never told you how lucky I feel when you look at me with that special smile that you reserve just for me."

Kitty dropped her head, and took a seat, apparently speechless at what he was saying. She didn't interrupt him. She simply listened.

"I never told you, Kitty, how inadequate I feel sometimes when it comes to you. You light up a room when you enter it, Kitty. Did you know that? You light it up and make every man in the room want you just by your smile. You're the belle of the ball. And sometimes I don't feel good enough for you."

"Matt." Kitty shook her head. "I…"

But Matt placed a finger on her lips. "No, Kitty. Let me finish." When he saw she would, he moved his hand. "I know I've told you a few times that I love you but I've never told you that enough. I've never told you enough how proud I am that of all the men you could've had, you chose me to love. And I never told you just how much I want you in my life. I'm sorry for that, Kitty. I'm sorry."

By this time Kitty had dissolved in tears and when Matt came close, she looked up at him. "I love you, Matt Dillon. I have since I first laid eyes on you. I admit, knowing that you don't want to marry has been hard, especially the older I get. Knowing that we'll probably never have a family…" She sniffled. "But it doesn't matter. It's alright. I love you, Matt and knowing you love me too, is enough."

Matt didn't reply. He simply hugged her tightly before gently pulling her face up for a deep, tender kiss full of all the love and passion he felt her.

Things returned to normal after that. Kitty continued to run her business and Matt continued to keep the law. But something had changed between them. It may have been subtle at first and for all he knew, Kitty may not have noticed. But he did. Matt could no longer look at things in the same way. He could no longer look at Kitty in the same way.

Time stretched forward and before he knew, three weeks and then four had passed from when Stambridge had left town. And each day that passed brought new revelations to the venerable lawman.

Each time he saw Kitty smile, he remembered the way she'd smiled at Stambridge that one time he'd made the mistake of watching them. It wasn't that special smile he'd mentioned to her but it was a happy smile of a woman who was being put first in a man's life, as she deserved. He knew now that he wanted to be the one to make her smile like that.

When he was out on the trail, and bunking down on the cold hard ground, he thought about the soft bed he'd sometimes share with Kitty. Always he'd look around at the vast prairie around him and realize how empty it was, just like his life would be, if he should lose her.

He'd never ever thought about it before, but now he knew that all these years, he'd had the world by the tail and a downhill pull as long as Kitty was in his life. But that world could easily fall and crush him should another man like Stambridge come to town and claim more than Kitty's time.

Kitty was Matt's anchor in rough seas. She grounded him and calmed him and soothed him when nothing and no one else could. Kitty understood him like no one else did. She stood by him even when the whole town turned their backs on him. She had defended him and protected him with every thing she had no matter how hard it was to do so.

And Matt knew she'd taken an almost unimaginable amount of abuse from not only the bad guys who'd come looking for him but also from the 'respectable' people in town who looked down on her for her business as well as her unmarried relationship with him.

Matt knew he'd done everything in his power over the years to protect Kitty and to give her the freedom and backing to do what ever she'd wanted to do. He'd backed her up numerous times. The day Stambridge left, he'd told her he loved her. He'd told her how proud he was of her and how he felt just being around her. But Matt also knew that wasn't enough. It was time to show her in a way he never had before.

The weather was clear and warm the day he stood shaving in the jail, mentally making his plans. It was early yet but with all he needed and wanted to do, he didn't want to waste time. He'd sent Festus and Newly out of town the day before to collect a prisoner so he didn't have to worry about them interrupting his plans.

After he finished shaving, Matt went over to the old battered desk in the room and picked up the paper he'd written out earlier. Tucking it into a pocket, he reached down and fingered the badge he had pinned to his chest. He'd taken that badge off several times over the years and each time swore it was for the last time while knowing, deep inside, that it wasn't.

But this time, when he unpinned it and laid it carefully on the desk, he knew it really was for good. He would never again pin that piece of metal over his heart and he didn't regret it for a moment. With a satisfied smile, Matt grabbed his gun belt and started to sling it around his waist before reconsidering. He didn't need a gun for this.

After taking his off the peg by the door and placing it on his head, he took a look around the room. He would probably see it again but it would no longer look the same. It wouldn't be his.

Smiling at that, Matt left the jail and happily set off to the general store. He wasn't in there for very long before he exited again and went down to the telegraph office. The telegrapher, Barney, was a little startled at the message Matt had written out but obediently he sent it off as requested. Leaving there, Matt stopped off at the church and spent a couple of moments with the pastor before leaving again.

Whistling a little tune, Matt then headed to the Long Branch. Kitty had just gotten up for the day and wasn't even dressed when Matt knocked on the door.

"Matt?" She questioned as she wrapped her robe around her and let him into the room. "What are you doing here? I thought when you didn't come last night, you'd probably left town or something."

"Nope." Matt grinned as he reached out and pulled her to him, kissing her soundly. "I just had some thinking to do and a decision to make. I did that and now I'm here."

"Oh?" She arched a brow suspiciously. "And just what decision did you have to make?"

"A big one." He answered as he reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a box. Extending it to her, he got down on one knee and looked up at her. "Kitty Russell, would you marry me?"

Kitty stood immobile, her eyes running back and forth between him and the box. Finally, swallowing hard, she reached out and accepted the box in a trembling hand, as though it would explode. "Matt?" She asked as she looked at the ring incased inside. "Are you serious? I mean, this isn't some sort of joke or…"

"No joke, Kitty." Matt smiled at her. "I'm as serious as I can be. I want you to marry me."

Kitty studied his eyes for a moment before looking back at the box and then nodding. "Yes!" She answered at last. "Yes, Matt, I'll marry you."

Matt let out a sigh of relief as he stiffly and somewhat awkwardly got back to his feet. "Good, cause the floor was killing my knee."

Kitty burst into laughter and pulled him to her in a bear hug. "Oh, Matt, I don't know what brought all of this about but…"

"You, Kitty." Matt answered. "You brought it about. Will Stambridge got me to thinking. Seeing him and the way he treated you and what he was offering you made me realize what I would be losing if I lost you. You're my happiness, Kitty Russell. The only woman who makes me complete. I sent a wire this morning resigning as Marshal and I left the badge on the desk at the jail. I am no longer US Marshal Matt Dillon. I am Matt Dillon, Kitty's man."

Kitty just shook her head as she pulled him down for a kiss. Later that day, Matt and Kitty quietly slipped into the church at the end of town and just as quietly left a short while later. The pastor, his wife and Doc were the only ones in attendance and that's as they wanted it. This wedding wasn't for the town it was for them.

After saying their thanks and farewells to Doc, the reverend and his wife, Matt and Kitty climbed into Doc's buggy and drove down to the hotel to spend their first night as man and wife. As they settled into bed, Kitty looked over at Matt.

"You know, I probably should've asked this before but well… what do we do now?"

"Now?" Matt wiggled a brow as he reached over and pulled at her nightgown. "Well, I thought we might just consummate our marriage."

Kitty giggled. "I expect we will do just that, Mr. Dillon. But what our future? I mean do we stay here in Dodge or leave? Do we see about buying a ranch or maybe some sort of business in town or…"

"How about I lay around and be a man of leisure while you work and support us?" He teased.

"Un huh." Kitty shook her head, hiding a grin. "I can't. The Long Branch has a rule that married women can't work there. And I am a married woman now."

"Hmmm." Matt mused. "We could take a trip or two. You know, I do seem to remember a few I missed out on."

"Yes, you did." Kitty agreed. "But that might take a lot of money and with you unemployed and me about to be, well…."

"Well, that leaves that out." Matt sighed. "So, I guess then, Mrs. Dillon, I'll have to figure out something for us tomorrow." He pulled at her gown again. "But not tonight. Tonight I want to make love to my wife."

Kitty laughed as she happily helped him rid themselves of clothes. "I think your wife would like that very much."

The End.

 **AN: This is for my little sister. She, like all of us, wanted, just once, to have Matt ask Kitty to marry him because he wanted her as his wife and not because she was pregnant or hurt or because he wasn't able to be Marshal anymore. We both wanted him to, just once, choose Kitty over the badge.**


End file.
